The WSJ’s report on Pete Hegseth comes at a time when he is already facing scrutiny for detailing plans of a military strike in a group chat on Signal, made public by a journalist at the Atlantic who had been added to the chat. Multiple Democrats have called for his resignation while a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to the defense department calling for an inquiry into the group chat.
Hegseth brought wife to military meetings
According to the report, sensitive information was discussed in both meetings, one with UK officials and another with NATO defense ministers, according to multiple people who were either present or had knowledge of the discussions. Jennifer Hegseth, a former Fox News producer, is said to have been present at a March 6 meeting at the Pentagon with Britain’s Secretary of Defence John Healy and Admiral Tony Radakin, head of the UK armed forces.
The first meeting reportedly was a high-level discussion at the Pentagon with top UK military officials, including the UK secretary of defense, John Healey, that took place in early March, a day after the US announced it would stop sharing military intelligence with Ukraine.
The second reportedly took place in Brussels in mid-February at Nato headquarters during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a forum of about 50 nations meant to help coordinate military support for Ukraine as it tries to fight off the invasion Russia launched in 2022.ALSO READ: Pete Hegseth’s big praise for Japan in face of Chinese aggression and amid Trump tariff threat
Can a defense secretary bring his wife to meetings?
A defense secretary has the authority to invite anyone to meetings with foreign counterparts. However, according to officials cited by the Journal, attendees at such meetings typically hold high-level security clearances. While the spouses of defense officials occasionally receive low-level clearances, it remains uncertain whether Hegseth’s wife has any clearance. Jennifer Hegseth is not an employee of the Defense Department, but it is not uncommon for spouses of senior officials to possess low-level security clearances.
Moreover, Hegseth also brought his brother, Philip Hegseth, a podcast producer, on official visits, according to the Journal. Philip Hegseth accompanied his brother to Guantánamo Bay and is currently with him during Hegseth’s tour of Asia.
In a statement to the Journal, department spokesperson Sean Parnell said that it is “pretty clear to me that [the Journal’s] story is going to be filled with inaccuracies and will not be written in good faith”.
ALSO READ: ‘No, thank you’: No one wants to talk to Usha Vance, at least not in Greenland
Pete Hegseth embroiled in Signal chat leak row
The Trump administration is under intense scrutiny after national security adviser, Michael Waltz had inadvertently added a journalist to the thread about an upcoming military strike in Yemen. But by contrast, Pete Hegseth’s job appears to be safe, even though he shared detailed information about strike times for the attack on Houthi militants in Yemen in the Signal thread. MAGA stalwarts including Charlie Kirk have defended him online.
Hegseth “had nothing to do with this,” the president said Wednesday. Hegseth survived a bruising confirmation process in the Senate after being pushed through with help from Vance, and he has a solid relationship with Trump.
